Terminal loader

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for loading electrical terminals into pairs of cavities of insulating blocks comprises means defining a pair of parallel longitudinal paths along which strips carrying terminal components to be loaded have a longitudinal step-by-step advance in opposite directions through a loading station; means defining a horizontal path through said station in 90* intersecting relation to the strip path, along which the blocks are first fed toward the zone of the station; and means subsequently indexing the blocks along said horizontal path to said loading station proper, in steps to present successive pairs of block cavities at said station. The block indexing means includes a rotary cam and follower control mechanism having a probe periodically engageable with cavities of a leading block fed toward the loading station zone, which probe is given compound vertical and generally horizontal pivotal motions in first engaging and then horizontally indexing said leading block. Strip-severing punches in vertical alignment with cavities as thus indexed then act to detach pairs of terminal components from said strip and load them frictionally into the cavities. The apparatus is operated through a vertically reciprocal press powered through belt and chain drive connections to a motor and by way of take-off to the rotary cam-follower control mechanism.

United States Patent 1191 a Johnson 1 Dec. 10, 1974 TERMINAL LOADER [75] Inventor: Hardie B. Johnson, Etters, Pa.

[73] Assignee: E. 1. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.

[22] Filed: Nov. 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 417,360

[52] US. Cl 29/203 B [51] Int. Cl. H05k 13/04 [58] Field of Search 29/203 B, 203 R, 203 P,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,571,924 3/1971 Collins 29/203 B 3,574,935 4/1971 Berg 29/203 B 3,717,841 2/1973 Mancini 339/258 Primary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager Attorney, Agent, or FirmThomas Hooker cavities of insulating blocks comprises means defining H a pair of parallel longitudinal paths along which strips carrying terminal components to be loaded have a longitudinal step-by-step advance in opposite directions through a loading station; means defining a horizontal path through said station in 90 intersecting relation to the strip path, along which the blocks are first fed toward the zone of the station; and means subsequently indexing the blocks along said horizontal path to said loading station proper, in steps to present successive pairs of block cavities at said station. The block indexing means includes a rotary cam and follower control mechanism having a probe periodically engageable with cavities of a leading block fed toward the loading station zone, which probe is given compound vertical and generally horizontal pivotal motions in first engaging and then horizontally indexing said leading block. Strip-severinglpunches in vertical alignment with cavities as thus indexed then act to detach pairs of terminal components from said'strip and load them frictionally into the cavities. The apparatus is operated through a vertically reciprocal press powered through belt and chain drive connections to a motor and by way of take-off to the rotary cam-follower control mechanism.

PATENTEDUEC 10 L974 snmmrd I 7 /i c FEED STROKE STA RT TIP MOVEMENT PUNCH TERAMNN- @iqg BLOCK FEED TIPS PRESS ROTATION TERMINAL LOADER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD a I electrical terminals soldered to circuitry on the board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the invention includes known means for feeding two like terminal strips in longitudinal parallel paths to a loading station at which a pair of terminal components thereof are punch-severed therefrom and frictionally loaded into cavities of an insulating block; and in coaction with this type of feeding and punch means a novel block-feeding and indexing mechanism acts to forward a series of the blocks toward said loading station and then index the same individually, successively and precisely to a loading position at said station, in the manner and for the purpose mentioned in the Abstract.

In production the machine loads as many as 220 terminal pairs per minute in blocks having eight pairs of cavities, which rapid loading rate is achieved essentially because of the rapid action of a dual-tipped probe prong of. the indexing mechanism in picking up each successive block at its cavity pairs, incrementally moving it along a feed path to positively position pairs of cavities therein for reception of said terminals, and then withdrawing during positioning along said path of the next upstream block, itself-to be picked up and indexed during the following cycle of continuous loading of eight pairs of terminals into the block. The indexing tips of the prong are moved in an ingenious continuous cycle by cams on a single rotating shaft, which cams provide the feed index stroke, a dwell for loading, a retraction of the prong and its extension and upstream movement for engaging the next set of cavities to be loaded.

This movement is continuous during the loading of a given blockand results in very rapid loading rates, as compared with the operation of conventional loaders using air cylinders or gear drive means for indexing successive terminal-receiving openings to the loading position. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a terminal loader according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in horizontal crosssection generally along line 2-2 of FIGS; 1 and 3, showing horizontally intersecting feed paths of block and terminal strip components of the loader and, in larger scale in FIG. 3, the latters strip punch and block indexing means for the operation;

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are vertical sectional views taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and illustrating various steps in the sequence of operation of the apparatus;

F IG.-6 is an enlarged view,-partially broken away and in vertical section showing a portion of FIG. 1 which represents a block indexing sub-assembly of the equipment;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views in vertical section along a line corresponding to line 7--7 of FIG. 6,

illustrating different positions of the block indexing block of the type loaded by the apparatus of the invention; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 are graphical representations of the movement of various parts of the apparatus during a single terminal loading cycle.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The loader of the invention, as generally designated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the reference numeral 10,'is designed to operate on electrically conductive terminals and insulating blocks of the sort best shown in FIGS. 3, 9 and 10. In thus operating the loading machine simultaneously loads two identical electrical terminals T in transversely aligned terminal-receiving cavities C in a plastic insulating block B.

The pairs of terminal cavities C are arranged in parallel rows along each side of the block, which block is characterized by integral parallel triangular bottom ribs b, and the terminals T are press-fitted into the cavities C, so that when block B is completely loaded, it may be fixed onto a circuit board with terminal prong or tip positions t disposed in holes through the circuit board.

The leads of integrated circuit modules may be inserted through the flared openings 0 in the block to form'electrical connections with the socket portions p of terminals T.

These terminals may be of the type disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,717,841 to Mancini, dated Feb. 20, 1973, or of any other suitable design, but as illustrated herein in FIG. 9 they are integral laterally projecting portions of a pair of identical conductive strips S and S fed linearly step-by-step in opposite directions, per the arrows in FIG. 9, through a loading station of apparatus 10, as

later described. Offset tab formation f and f integral with the respective strips S and 8' (see also FIG. 3 connect terminals T to said strips until severed transversely at apertured zones from strip scrap portions s and s. This occurs at the instant of the loading of said terminals in pairs to cavities of a block 8.

As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 includes a punch press mechanism or unit 12 having an upright operating column 13 carrying a vertically reciprocal punch plate 14, the column being motor-operated in a manner to be described; a fixed tooling or terminal strip supporting plate 16 located beneath the plate 14; a terminal or tooling feed sub-assembly 18 mounted to slide on a pair of fixed vertical guide posts 19 carried on and extending above plate 16; a block feed mechanism 20; and a block indexing mechanism 22. The feed mechanism 20 positions successive plastic blocks B adjacent a terminal loading station of the machine at A (FIG. 2), where the blocks are picked upby the indexing mechanism 22 and successfully indexed horizontally past said loading station so that each transverse pair of block cavities C is loaded with two terminals T, as severed from the respective strips S and S.

The press unit 12 is suitably mounted on a fixed upright support bracket 24 and includes a drive motor 25 which continuously rotates a flywheel 26 through a driving V-belt 27 trained about pulleys 28 and 29 on the respective motor and the flywheel axes. The flywheel 26 is connected to a crank by a clutch, with the crank connected to the column 13 of press unit-12, thus to raise and lower the presspunch plate 14. That plate is stably guided for limited sliding action on the tops of a pair of guide posts 32 extending upwardly from support plate 16.

The block feed mechanism 20 is mounted onplate 16 and includes, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, a body plate structure 34 defining a block feed path or way 35 extending from the front of the press, through the loading zone or station A and out the back of the machine 10. As depicted in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, a spring-biased plug and pressure strip unit 35 on one side of way 35 exerts a slight frictional drag pressure on the blocks B as they traverse the station A.

An air cylinder 36 of sub-assembly 20 includes a plunger 37, which when extended pushes out the last block B located in way or path 35 to position a leading block for pick-up and step-by-step indexing by the block indexing mechanism 22 as said leading block is loaded at station A. Upon retraction of said plunger, an additional block B falls down from an upper elongated supply ramp 38 to replenish the last fed block. The loaded blocks are pushed along the block feed path or way 35 to the left-hand side of apparatus by the feed mechanism 20, where they are discharged at D. The direction of block feed and indexing is indicated by a bold arrow in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The strip feed sub-assembly or unit 18, as slidably mounted on guide posts I9, is biased downward, as best shown in FIG. 1, toward plate 16 by coil springs 39 encircling said posts and confined between fixed caps adjacent the post tops and the top of terminal feed unit 18. Stop blocks 40 are locatedon plate 16 beneath said unit to limit the downward movement of the latter.

A vertically elongated column 42 is fixed on and extends above the unit 18, terminating above punch plate 14 where it carries a projection 43 laterally overlapping the top of said plate. Hence when the punch plate 14 is lowered (as from a top dead center position of FIG. 1), the strip feed unit 18 is correspondingly lowered until it engages the stop blocks 40. But the punch plate '14 will continue lowering to bottom dead center position, and in an ensuing phase rises to pick up the feed sub-assembly 18 at the column projection 43 and return it to the top dead center position.

A pair of hollow-ended terminal punches 45 (FIG. 2), one of which also appears in much larger scale in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5,'are directly mounted on the front edge of punch plate 14 and extend down from the latter toward the terminal loading station A. The two punches 45 simultaneously pick up, sever and load two terminals .T from the respective terminal carrier strips S and 5' (FIG. 9) in a pair of transversely registered block cavities C.

The block indexing mechanism 22 includes a rotatable horizontal shaft 46 journaled in appropriate bearings 46' (FIGS. 6-8) mounted on the lower surface of fixed plate 16. A spur gear 47 is mounted on the end of the shaft 46; and that shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. I) at the same angular speed as the clock-wise rotating crank shaft 48 of press 12.

The directional reversal is occasioned by a reversing 47 and 49 derives from the motor-driven flywheel and crank shaft 48 through a chain and sprocket power subsystem 51, including a lower chain sprocket 52 coaxially fixed to spur gear 49, an upper equal diameter chain sprocket 53 fast on crank shaft 48, and a power take-off chain 54 trained about those sprockets. A set of four motion-directing idler sprockets 55, 56, 57 and 58 interposed between sprockets 52 and 53 direct power take-off chain 54 of the system 51 in the generally C-shaped overall contour appearing in FIG. 1.

A timing gear 60 is driven by a sprocket coaxially rotating with gear 49 through another chain 61, and carries a timing peg 62 which trips a micro-switch 63 when the last pair of cavities C have been filled in each connector block B.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 an eccentric cylindrical center cam 65 is fixed on the shaft 46 of block indexing unit 22, being sided by a pair of identical, eccentrically mounted cylindrical cams 66. These have a somewhat smaller diameter than cam 65; and, as appears in FIG. 6, the lobes or crests of all three cams 65 and 66 are at the same angular orientation with respect to the shaft 46. In the start position for each terminal loading cycle, said cam lobes are located directly below the axis of the shaft 46. That shaft coaxially carries a pair of concentric cylindrical collars 67 located on opposite axial sides of the outer cams 66; and the radius of collars 67 is greater than the minimum radii of the earns 65, 66, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, but less than the radii of any of thecams at their crests or lobes.

The block indexing mechanism 22 also'includes an upright pivot post or stem 68 universally mounted to swivel at its lower end in a support block 69, which in turn is fixed on a base plate 70. The swivel mount includes a ball and socket unit 71, as to which a micrometer-type adjusting device 72 permits a lateral adjustment of the swivel point of stem 68, if desired, of the position of unit 71.

A hollow box-like cam follower device 73 of indexing mechanism 22 surrounds the cams and collars 65, 66 and 67 and is slidably mounted on the free end of the stem 68. To this end the latter is received in a vertical bore in a side upright part or member 74 of the box follower 73; and a probe block 75 carrying a pair of blockindexing prong tips 76 is mounted on assembly 73 in axial alignment with the part 74 and stem 68 telescoped in said part. Hence, upon an upward shift of the'follower assembly 73 toward the block feed and index path 35 the prong tips 76 engage in the flared openings c (FIGS. 3-5 and 9) of the next pair of cavities C to be loaded and, with subsequent upward movement of the assembly 73, index these cavities to the loading position at station A.

A coil compression spring 78 is confined between a disc 79 fixed on the lower swiveling end of the follower guiding stem or post 68 and a similar disc 80 fixed at the bottom of assembly 73, said spring biasing said assembly so that a lower cross-block 81 of assembly 73 engages either the shaft collars 67 or the larger 'diameter shaft'cam 65, as appears in FIGS. 7 and 8, respectively. A spring-backed pin 82, as housed in and projecting from a bore in a block 83 fixedly mounted to one side of box-like cam follower device 73, biases the latters upright part 75 against either the shaft collars 67 or the smaller diameter shaft cams 66, as appears in rather extends into and rotates idly through a side recess 84 in said part.

The tooling or terminal feed assembly 18, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, includes the two fixed nested blocks 86, 87 defining adjacent their bottoms a pair of parallel laterally extending and upright terminal strip feed ways or paths 88, 89. The blocks 86, 87 are received in another block member 90 interposed longitudinally between still further fixed blocks 91 that are mounted, as shown in FIG. 2, on the machines upright posts 19. As appears in FIG. 3, the blocks 90 and 91 present elongated downward extensions or flanges 90, 91, respectively, between which the terminal tip portions t projecting from loaded blocks B are guided as those blocks exit machine along the way or path 35.

Identical terminal strips S and S (see also FIG. 9) are fed toward the loading zone A in the feed paths 88, 89 respectively, so that the offset lead terminals T depending from each of the two strips are positioned beneath one of the terminals severing and loading punches 45. Said punches travel vertically within bores of the respective blocks 87.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, strip S is fed through assembly 18 from the bottom (only as viewed in that figure) along the path 88 and strip S is fed to the assembly along path 89 as from the top of the view. A conventional strip feed device 92 is provided for incrementally feeding the strip S toward the loading station A, and a similar known strip feed device 93 is provided for similar incremental feeding of strip S in the opposite direction toward and through said zone. It is to be seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 that the positioning of the punches 45 mid-way between the two feed paths 88 and 89 is such that upon lowering of the punches they pick up the lead terminals T on each of the strips S, S and insert them into a pair of transversely registered cavities C of an insulating block B located beneath the punches.

During this loading operation, the punches 45 sever the terminals T from the respective carrier strips, it being noted with particular reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 that said terminals T are offset somewhat to one side of a main body portion of their respective carrier strips S, S, so that the terminals proper are positioned directly beneath the punches 45 for such severance. The remaining severed strip material travels step-by-step as scrap lengths s and s outwardly of the terminal feed assembly 18, as shown in FIG. 2.

Various conventional micro-switches, solenoid controlled valves, associated electrical and fluid systems, etc., are provided to control the operation of the apparatus 10 in the manner described. These controls form no part of the invention, hence are neither illustrated herein nor described as to structure.

OPERATION At the beginning of the cycle of operation of the terminal loader for each plastic block B the press unit 12 is at 45 before top dead center of its stroke (tdc in FIG. 11) and the lobes or crestsof shaft earns 65 and 66 are at the 6 oclock" position of FIG. 8, i.e., angularly shifted 180 from their position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Hence, the lobe of cam 65 downwardly engages the follower assembly cross part 81 and holds the block indexing mechanism 22 depressed. In this position, the

indexing probe prong tips 76 are retracted out of the path of movement of block B along its feed path 35, which is at all times filled with blocks as illustrated in FIG. 2. Said blocks are arranged in the path with the triangular ribs b thereof resting on the bottom of the path 35. The plunger of air cylinder 36 has been retracted to allow a block to fall from supply ramp 38 into the path, and is then extended so that the unloaded block B nearest the loading station A is shifted forward to the position illustrated in FIG. 5. Note the unloaded block B to the right of that figure and the previously loaded block to the left, with its terminal tips t extending up from the cavities C. Movement of the right-hand block B to this position pushes the other along path 35 away from the loading station A.

In the start position, with punch plate 14 partially raised, the post of column 42 on the terminal feed assembly 18, as engaged from beneath at its extension 43 by the punch plate, holds said assembly 18 up sufficiently so that the lead terminals proper T projecting beneath said assembly are free of the blocks B in path 35; but the terminals of the two strips S, S are not yet located beneath the two punches 45 in relation to the directions of the longitudinal strip feeds. This position is indicated at A in FIGS. 11 and 12, which said FIG. 12 graphs the movement of one of the block-indexing probe or prong tips 76 in a vertical plane extending along the block path 35; and arrow-headed dot-dash lines appearing in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 indicate corresponding compound motions of the tips in relation to the vertical stroke of the punches 45 and the horizontal travel of blocks B. In the start position the tips are located in position A of FIG. 12, in which they are withdrawn below the feed path of the blocks B in path 35 (also shown in FIG. 8 and in dotted line in FIG. 3), and are well below the punches 45.

As the punch plate 14 raises and then lowers, the cam shaft 46 is being rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 and the cross block part 81 of cam follower sub-assembly 73 falls from the lobe of shaft cam 65, allowing the block indexing mechanism 22 to rise under spring bias on shaft swivel stem or post 68 (FIG. 6). At the same time, the lobes of shaft cams 66 are rotated into side engagement with the follower box upright 75, so that the mechanism 22 is rocked as a unit in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6 about the swivel post connection 71.

After the shaft 48 has rotated to the indexing tips 76 have moved from position A of FIG. 12 to position B of that figure. In reaching this position, the tips 76 have been moved upstream along the block feed path 35 and have been raised so that they extend, per FIG. 7, into the flared openings 0 of the first pair of terminal-receiving cavities C in the right-hand block B as appearing in FIG. 5.

Simultaneously, the punch plate 14 is lowering to lower the punches 45 therewith and also allow the strip feed assembly 18 to lower, whereby that assembly moves down from the position of FIG. 5 to a position where it engages and bottoms on the stop blocks 40, the position assembly 18 occupies in FIG. 3, the lead terminals are strips S and S having been fed at press top dead center.

Continued lowering of the punch plate 14 is attended by rotation of the cam shaft 46 (FIGS. 1 and 6) in the counter-clockwise direction, and moves the lobes of its smalldiameter cams 66 laterally away from box upright part 75, whereby the spring unit 82 is freed to pivot the entire subassembly 73 to the left, i.e., downstream relative to the block feed path 35. When the tips 76 reach position 13 of FIG. 12, the cross block 81 engages beneath the shaft collars 67; and the assembly 22 is now held at an essentially fixed vertical position on its pivotal guide stem 68, with the result that the tips 76 are moved, while ,extended to engage in cavity openings 0, sufficiently downstream to index and position the first pair of cavities C in right-hand block B (FIG. in a loading position directly beneath leading terminals T on the two terminal strips S and S.

The tips 76 reachposition B of FIG. 12 at the end of the block feed stroke, when the follower upright 74 first engages cylindrical shaft collars 67 to stop further block movement along the feed path 35. During the next 90 rotation of the press both the cross block 81 and upright 74 engage the cylindrical collars 67, and the tips 76 are held fixed in the loading position illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

As the plate 14 descends, the terminal strip feed assembly 18 is lowered so that the two terminals T in the loading position or station A are moved down sufficiently to pilot the tips of the terminals into the mouths of a pair of block cavities C, at the same time as the assembly l8 bottoms on the blocks 40 (FIG. 1). Further lowering of the punch plate 14 lowers the punches 45 so that the hollow ends thereof extend over the circuit board-engaging tips t of the two terminals vT and, with still further downward movement, sever the terminals 7 proper from their respective carrier strips S and S' at the strip offsets f and f and insert them within the blocks receiving cavities C. While FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the loading of terminals in the last pair of cavities in a block B, the operation is exactly the same when terminals are loaded in each of the intermediate pairs of cavities. They are press-fitted into the cavities and are held therein by a tight frictional fit.

Continued rotation of the press shaft 48 raises the punch plate 14 to retract the punches 45 and, after sufficient rotation, to pick up the feed assembly 18 and raise it above the stop blocks 40. At 270 of rotation of the press, the lobe of cam 65 shifts the followers cross block 81 away from shaft collars 67 (FIG. 8) to lower the tips 76 from position C" back to the start position A, as viewed in FIG. 12.

The loading apparatus continues to cycle in this manner until terminals T have been loaded in each of the pairs of cavities C in the block B (right-hand in FIG. 5). Upon the loading of the last pair of said block cavities the timing gear 60 has been rotated sufficiently by chain 61 (FIG. 1-) that its camming peg 62 trips microswitch 63 to actuate a solenoid control valve and thereby retract air cylinder 36.

As the cylinder retracts it triggers another microswitch (not shown) to disengage an earlier-mentioned clutch on punch press shaft 48, thereby stopping rotation of cam shaft 46. As the plunger of the cylinder 36 is retracted, a new block B falls down into the horizontal way 35, and upon full retraction of the plunger the air cylinder is reversed to again extend the plunger, thereby pushing the next leading blockB to the position illustrated in FIG. 5. This block engaged the previously loaded block (left-hand in FIG. 5) and pushes it further along the path 35 so that it is out of the path of movement of the tips 76. The frictional drag unit 35' in path 35 adjacent the loading zone A (FIGS. 6, 7, and

8) prevents undesired overthrow movement of the blocks and assures their alignment during loading.

When the plunger of cylinder 36 is fully extended, an additional micro-switch (not shown) is tripped to reengage the clutch of the punch press 12, thereby reinitiating the loading cycle for the next block B. Loaded blocks being discharged are pushed off the lefthand end of feed path or way 35, as indicated at D in FIG. 1, and fall into a suitable receptacle.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it is understood that these are capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Electrical terminal loading apparatus comprising means for feeding a terminal strip in a longitudinal path to a loading station at which one of plurality of termi nals thereof is severed therefrom and loaded to one of a number of terminal-receiving cavities of an insulating or other block, means for so severing terminals from said strip and successively loading said terminals, and a block-indexing mechanism for progressively locating the block cavities in a loading position at said station, v

said mechanism comprising a block-engaging member, and a rotatable cam device to shift said member in a first direction to engage a block and to then index the engaged block in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to said loading position.

2. The loading apparatus of claim 1, in which said block-engaging member of said mechanism is a probe member operated by said cam device in successively engaging in the cavities of a block and then so indexing the latter. I

3. The loading apparatus of claim 1, in which said cam device comprises a rotatable shaft driven in timed relation to said strip severing and loading means, a pair of cams mounted coaxially of one another on said shaft, and a follower operatively connected to said blockengaging member and having parts engagable with said respective cams to shift said member bi-directionally in the blocking-engaging and indexing operation of said mechanism.

4. The loading apparatus of claim 2, in which said cam device comprises a rotatable shaft driven in timed relation to said strip severing and loading means, a pair of cams mounted coaxially of one another on said shaft, and a follower operatively connected to said blockengaging probe member and having parts engageable with said respective cams to shift said member bidirectionally in the blocking-engaging and indexing operation of said mechanism.

5. The loading apparatus of claim 3, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a ,mild arc in said indexing movement of said member.

6. The loading apparatus of claim 4, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said probe memher.

7. The loading apparatus of claim 3, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said member. said pivotal mount comprising an elongated stem hav ing a universal connection to a fixed support at one end thereof, the follower being slidably engaged on said stem at the other end thereof.

8. The loading apparatus of claim 4, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said probe member, said pivotal mount comprising an elongated stem having a universal connection to a fixed support at one end thereof, the follower being slidably engaged on said stem at the other end thereof.

9. The loading apparatus of claim 5, in which said follower is a box-like member on which said camengaging parts are disposed in fixed 90 intersecting relation to one to so operate said block-engaging member bi-dir'ectionally.

10. The loading apparatus of claim 8, in which said follower is a box-like member on which said camengaging parts are disposed in fixed 90 intersecting relation to one to so operate said block-engaging probe member bi-directionally.

11. The loading apparatus of claim 10, in which said follower is slidably mounted on said stem at one of the cam-engaging follower parts for the movement of said probe member in engaging in a cavity of a block.

12. A block-indexing mechanism for progressively locating a series of cavities of an insulating or other block in a loading position at which terminals are to be loaded therein, said mechanism comprising a rotatable cam device and a probe member operated by said device in a first direction to engage in a cavity in a block and to then index the engaged block cavity in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to said loading position, said cam device comprising a rotatable shaft, a pair of cams mounted coaxially of one another on said shaft and having cam lobe surfaces of different radial eccentricity-in relation to the shaft axis, and a follower operatively connected to said block-engaging probe member and having parts engageable with said respective cams to shift said member bi-directionally in the blocking-engaging and indexing operation of said mechanism, said follower being slidable on a pivotally mounted stem to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said probe member as engaged in a block cavity.

13. The indexing mechanism of claim 12, in which said follower is a box-like member on which said camengaging parts are disposed in fixed 90 intersecting relation to one another to engage the respective cam lobe surfaces in so operating said probe member bidirectionally.

14. The indexing mechanism of claim 13, in which said followeris slidably mounted on said stem at one of the cam-engaging parts thereof for movement of said probe member in initially engaging in a cavity of a block. 

1. Electrical terminal loading apparatus comprising means for feeding a terminal strip in a longitudinal path to a loading station at which one of plurality of terminals thereof is severed therefrom and loaded to one of a number of terminal-receiving cavities of an insulating or other block, means for so severing terminals from said strip and successively loading said terminals, and a block-indexing mechanism for progressively locating the block cavities in a loading position at said station, said mechanism comprising a block-engaging member, and a rotatable cam device to shift said member in a first direction to engage a block and to then index the engaged block in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to said loading position.
 2. The loading apparatus of claim 1, in which said block-engaging member of said mechanism is a probe membEr operated by said cam device in successively engaging in the cavities of a block and then so indexing the latter.
 3. The loading apparatus of claim 1, in which said cam device comprises a rotatable shaft driven in timed relation to said strip severing and loading means, a pair of cams mounted coaxially of one another on said shaft, and a follower operatively connected to said block-engaging member and having parts engagable with said respective cams to shift said member bi-directionally in the blocking-engaging and indexing operation of said mechanism.
 4. The loading apparatus of claim 2, in which said cam device comprises a rotatable shaft driven in timed relation to said strip severing and loading means, a pair of cams mounted coaxially of one another on said shaft, and a follower operatively connected to said block-engaging probe member and having parts engageable with said respective cams to shift said member bi-directionally in the blocking-engaging and indexing operation of said mechanism.
 5. The loading apparatus of claim 3, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said member.
 6. The loading apparatus of claim 4, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said probe member.
 7. The loading apparatus of claim 3, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said member, said pivotal mount comprising an elongated stem having a universal connection to a fixed support at one end thereof, the follower being slidably engaged on said stem at the other end thereof.
 8. The loading apparatus of claim 4, in which said follower is provided with a pivotal mount to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said probe member, said pivotal mount comprising an elongated stem having a universal connection to a fixed support at one end thereof, the follower being slidably engaged on said stem at the other end thereof.
 9. The loading apparatus of claim 5, in which said follower is a box-like member on which said cam-engaging parts are disposed in fixed 90* intersecting relation to one to so operate said block-engaging member bi-directionally.
 10. The loading apparatus of claim 8, in which said follower is a box-like member on which said cam-engaging parts are disposed in fixed 90* intersecting relation to one to so operate said block-engaging probe member bi-directionally.
 11. The loading apparatus of claim 10, in which said follower is slidably mounted on said stem at one of the cam-engaging follower parts for the movement of said probe member in engaging in a cavity of a block.
 12. A block-indexing mechanism for progressively locating a series of cavities of an insulating or other block in a loading position at which terminals are to be loaded therein, said mechanism comprising a rotatable cam device and a probe member operated by said device in a first direction to engage in a cavity in a block and to then index the engaged block cavity in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to said loading position, said cam device comprising a rotatable shaft, a pair of cams mounted coaxially of one another on said shaft and having cam lobe surfaces of different radial eccentricity in relation to the shaft axis, and a follower operatively connected to said block-engaging probe member and having parts engageable with said respective cams to shift said member bi-directionally in the blocking-engaging and indexing operation of said mechanism, said follower being slidable on a pivotally mounted stem to swing in a mild arc in said indexing movement of said probe member as engaged in a block cavity.
 13. The indexing mechanism of claim 12, in which said follower is a box-like member on which said cam-engaging parts are disposed in fixed 90* intersecting relation to one another to engage the respective cam lobe surfaces in so operating said probe member bi-directionally.
 14. The indexing mechanism of claim 13, in which said follower is slidably mounted on said stem at one of the cam-engaging parts thereof for movement of said probe member in initially engaging in a cavity of a block. 